Corvette Grand Sport selected to pace the 2017 Indianapolis 500

2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Indy 500 pace car. Photos by Chris Owens, courtesy of IMS and Chevy Racing.

Chevrolet has had an exclusive arrangement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2002, making it the only supplier of pace cars to the Indy 500. With two performance models in its lineup, the choice really comes down to whether a Corvette or a Camaro will pace the annual Memorial Day race, and for the 101st running of the Indy 500 on May 28, 2017, the selection is Corvette Grand Sport with the Z07 Performance Package.

As equipped, the Corvette Grand Sport includes a 6.2-liter LT1 V-8, rated at 455 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, mated to a paddle shifter-equipped eight-speed automatic transmission. The Z07 Performance Package adds carbon ceramic brake rotors (15.5-inch in front, 15.3-inch in rear) grabbed by Brembo six-piston caliper in front and four-piston calipers in rear, along with the FE7 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension.

Combined with Grand Sport-specific springs, anti-roll bars and tires (335/25ZR20 rear and 285/30ZR19 front), the setup allows the Indy pace car to run from 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds, on the way to an 11.6 second quarter mile, and is said to deliver lateral acceleration of 1.2 g in the corners. It’s likely that the only modifications for pace car duty will be supplemental lighting and, perhaps, a roll bar for safety.

Though the Corvette was launched in 1953, its first selection as a pace car didn’t come until 1978, the same year that Chevrolet celebrated the car’s 25th Anniversary. The Corvette repeated this honor in 1986, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, and now, 2017, making it the most commonly chosen pace car model in the race’s history. Chevrolet’s current exclusive deal with the speedway aside, the bowtie brand has been chosen to pace the field at the Brickyard 12 times from 1948, when a Chevrolet Fleetmaster Six driven by Wilbur Shaw was chosen, through 1999, when a Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Jay Leno was the pick. The last time a non-GM vehicle was used as an Indy pace car was 1996, when a Dodge Viper (driven by Bob Lutz) led the field to the green flag.

The driver of the pace car for the 2017 Indianapolis 500 has yet to be announced.